We were created to worship, but sometimes we worship in the wrong direction

3 min read

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Revelation 4:11

A small group from my church has been studying the book of Revelation for several months now. Actually, we’ve been at it off and on for about three years.

What amazes me about our study is how even complicated concepts can become understandable if you give it time. Like a lot of people, I’ve always held the book of Revelation at arm’s length because it seemed impossible to understand.

But I’m finding that, like a puzzle, the more we consider the pieces, the more they start to fit.

By no means have I become an expert in this book also known as The Apocalypse. But I have spent enough thoughtful time in it now to begin picking up on some of its themes.

At this point, if I were to reduce Revelation to its most basic theme, I believe it is simply this:

God is on His throne.

To be clear, by God I mean the Father, Son, and Spirit. And Revelation – a book that unveils God’s plans for the future – makes it clear that in those days, everything that happens will be overseen and directed by God from His throne. The entire event will be THRONE-CENTRIC, if you will. Here is just one example:

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne…Revelation 4:9-10

So, if you understand that the single most important point of reference for Revelation is the throne of God, you will understand its contents and concepts better. Just like knowing which way is north can help you navigate your way through the woods, so orienting yourself to the Throne of God can help you navigate Revelation. Orient yourself to the throne of God and you will not get lost.

Orient yourself to the throne of God and you will not get lost.

Hey wait, that’s actually not a bad idea for life in general! If we kept ourselves oriented to the Throne of God, that would probably help us in a lot of respects – not just with understanding Revelation.

If we centered our lives on the Throne, here are a few things it would do for us, just for starters:

1. It would remind us that He is sovereign, meaning He is ultimately in control. Human powers will always come and go, rise and fall, but God was, is and will always be on His throne. Never will He be de-throned. This is a reassuring truth, especially when things seem to be spinning out of control.
2. It would encourage us to pray. For believers, God’s throne is a throne of grace. Through Jesus, we have access to the throne 24/7, so that we can “receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16). It’s amazing that we can go right to God the Father with our needs, our praises, or whatever may be on our hearts. Talk about going right to the top!
3. It would help us stay closer to Him on a daily basis. It’s hard to have a relationship with someone if you don’t know where they are. Not so with God. We can draw near to Him because we know exactly where He is – on His throne. We don’t have to go on a quest to find Him. He isn’t hiding. He has stated His location and promised that if we accept His Son as the way, the truth, and the life, we can have a relationship with Him. He is only a prayer away.

Is your life God-centered? Is your main reference point the throne of God? Or, have you gotten disoriented along the way and lost track of Him? It happens.

The good news is that the invitation to approach God’s throne hasn’t expired. It’s still good. So, how about going there right now? Go to the Throne in Jesus’ Name and ask God to help you re-center your life upon Him. Find yourself at the throne of God and you will truly find yourself.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.